Parking garages are prime targets for car break-ins. Fed up with the widespread problem in their city, officials in San Francisco decided to take matters into their own hands. Using a combination of surveillance camera systems, fences and police patrols, they beefed up security in 22 city-operated parking garages. The results are promising.
The initiative was first tested at the Stockton-Sutter garage in early 2018. From January to March, there was an 83% decrease in car break-ins. Mayor Mark Farrell said, “This is an area, our own city garages where we can lead by example.” He added, “We can control this property and we can focus on areas that are going to work on car break-ins.” Residents and drivers are noticing the change. One driver said he saw police patrolling at 4 a.m.
The added security measures are part of a broader effort to crack down on the city’s property crime epidemic. The Insurance Information Institute ranked the San Francisco Metropolitan area number eight on the list of places with the most stolen vehicles. The San Francisco District Attorney said that his office is using every tool available to prosecute car burglars. That includes creating a unit of prosecutors who specifically targets these types of offenders.
This test further proves that proactive measures can deter car break-ins and other types of criminal activity. If there is a higher probability of being caught and punished, criminals may not want to take their chances.
A proactively-watched security camera system can help achieve similar results at parking garages, parking lots, retail properties, office spaces and other types of commercial properties. Trained video surveillance operators watch properties in real-time. If they see unauthorized activity, they can activate a speaker warning or contact an on-site security guard or local police.
If you’d like more information on how Stealth can help deter and prevent car break-ins, contact us.
